Building community for startups
Startups can benefit tremendously from building and harnessing the power of community. ACM member Paz Pisarski is Community Manager for Startup Victoria, where she looks after a community of 60,000 entrepreneurs. Paz joined us for an ACM Yarn to share her tips and insights for building community in the startup space.
Paz Pisarski joins us for a Yarn about community building in the startup sector
What unique challenges are faced by community professionals working for startups vs. established organisations?
BLANK CANVAS: When you build community for a startup you’re working with a blank canvas. No rules, no operational plans. No established patterns or culture. You get to fill out that canvas from scratch. This is hugely rewarding (and rare for community pros), but can be intimidating if you’re not used to it, or prefer established practices.
SPEED: Almost everything moves fast these days, but startups move even faster. Things can evolve and change direction quickly, so you need to be nimble and ready to pivot quickly.
AGILITY: You need maximum adaptability in a startup environment. As well as moving fast, you’re usually the only one working on community, and may only have a handful of colleagues in the entire organisation if its in its early stages. You’ll need to do a bit of everything and be prepared to step outside your comfort zone.
How do you engage your first few members in the early stages of community?
BE SPECIFIC: Be clear on your purpose and goals. Why does this community exist? What are your objectives? How are you serving members - and who specifically is it essential to engage in the early stages?
FIND FOUNDERS: Identify and recruit key founding members who believe in the vision of the community and have the time to help mobilise it in its early stages. Make sure there is a genuine value for participants.
CONNECT PEOPLE: It’s never about you. Network people together to create opportunities and exchanges valuable to them.
BUILD SHARED EXPERIENCE: Build out shared experiences (events, knowledge sharing, peer support, etc.) that serve the purpose of the community and the specific needs of members.
To watch the full video of our Yarn with Paz & enjoy a wealth of other benefits, become an ACM Pro member.
What can all community builders learn from startups?
VISION: founders set ambitious visions. Community leaders need a north star that dictates their direction and inspires members to join. This will be expressed in your community culture and norms. What you do you stand for? Why are you gathering together? What binds you together?
TEAM: founders surround themselves with great teams. So why should community leaders do it alone? Surround yourself with support, whether it's from new community hires, mentors or volunteer ambassadors. Community is a team sport.
BOUNDARIES: founders aren't afraid to say no. Community leaders need to understand what their focus is to minimise getting pulled away from their core focus: the community members. Set clear boundaries around your community purpose - the more specific the better. It’s also important advice for your wellbeing. Make sure your protect your time and your mental health, or you won’t be able to show up for your community.
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